Controlling and reversing means.



No. 888,744. PATENTED MAY 26, 1908.

d. F. 'ROPBR. CONTROLLING ANDREVERSING MEANS.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 7. 1907.

9 65563) 2a 2 2.6" lave/d2);

To all whom it may concern:

UNITED STATES PA ENT OFFICE.

CHARLES F. ROPER, OF HOPEDALE, MASSAOHUSETTS,ASSIGNOR TO C. F. ROPER & COMPANY,

OF HOPEDALE, MASSACHUSETTS, A FIRM.

CONTROLLING AND REVERSING- MEANS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 26, 1908.

Be it known that I, CHARLES F. RoPER, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Hopedale, county of Worcester, State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Controlling and Reversing Means, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanyin drawing, is a specification, like letters on t e drawing representing like parts.

This invention has for its object the production of novel and eflicient controlling and reversing means, particularly adapted for use in connection with speed-controlling reversing ropellers for boats.

Prope lers of this type are mounted on a shaft rotated by a suitable motor, and by means of a sleeve-like member loose on the shaft and operatively connected with the propeller blades, the speed of the boat can be controlled and its direction of movement reversed without varying either the s eed or direction of rotation of the shaft. uch an apparatus is shown in United States Patent No. 807,498, granted to me December 19, 1905, and my present invention is particularly well adapted for governing the reversing member or sleeve in such apparatus, though my present invention is not restricted to such particular apparatus nor, in fact, to apparatus of that general type.

I have so constructed and arranged the mechanism to be herein after described that the controlling lever may be securely locked at any point of its angular movement, and I have also devised a novel form of connection between the lever and the reversing member, with adjustable means for positioning the latter upon the lever.

The various novel features of my invention will be fully described in the subjoined specification and particularly pointed out in t e following claims.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of controlling and reversing means embodying my present invention, with a sullioient portion of the motor-shaft and the reversing sleeve to be understood, the parts bein shown in neutral position; Fig. 2is a rig t-hand side elevation of the apparatus illustrated in Fig. 1

Fig; 3 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional detail on the line 33, Fig. 2, to be referred to, Fi 4 is a cross-section, also enlarged, on the ine 4-4, Fig. 1; Flg. 5 is a top plan view, enlarged, of a means for the controlling lever,

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, a stand 1 is fixedly bolted or otherwise secured to the floor or other supporting object F, the stand having at one end laterally separated ears 2 through which is extended a fulcrum pin 3. A third and larger upright ear 4, having preferably a slot 5, is formed on the stand at one side thereof and parallel to one of the ears 2. The fulcrum m3 is long enough to roject beyond the atter ear and passes oosely through a hole in an upright frame com rising rigidly connected arms 6 united at t eir upper ends by a segment 7, which has forme upon its front face two segmental rows or series of oppositely-faced teeth 8, 9, Fi s. 1 and 5.

. eferring to Fig. 5 it will be seen that the teeth 8 have straight faces parallel to but turned op ositely to similar straight faces of the teeth 9, so that if the straight faces of two teeth, one in each series, be engaged simultaneously by a suitable locking member said member will be held positively from movement in either direction. Such a looking member will be described hereinafter.

The lower part of the frame 6 rests against the rear face of the ear 4 and has an elonpart of the locking gated slot 10 to receive a clamping bolt 11 seated in the slot 5, so that when the bolt is set up the frame and its segment 7 are rigidly held in fixed position relatively to the stand 1. A nut 12 on the rear end ofthe fulcrum pin 3 fprevents disengagement of the segment rame therefrom. By loosening the clamping bolt 11 the segment frame can be turned in one direction or the other on the pin 3 in'order to bring the center of the segment 0 osite the oint at which the con- P P P tubular foot 15 which loosely embraces the fulcrum pin 3 between the ears 2 of the fixed stand, the yoke having that one of its cheeks nearest the segment frame extended or elongated to form a controlling or o erating lever 16, shaped at its upper on to form a hand-grip 17. v

The lever has formed u on it longitudinal ribs or flanges 18 provi ed with 0 posite ears 19 between which is fulcrumed a Focking member or arm 20, pivoted on a pin 21, the arm for the greater portion of its length lying between the flanges 18.

At its upper end the arm is bent away from the hand-grip at 22, and a s ring 23 is inserted between the part 22 and a depression 24 in the lever, see dotted lines Fig.2,

the spring normally maintaining the lower,

end of the arm 20 pressed toward the adj acent face of the lever.

The arm has at its lower end a rearwardly extended enlargement 25 entering an a erture 26 in the lever opposite the segmenta series of teeth 8 and 9, and locking dogs or lugs 28, 29 are formed on the enlargement, one above the other and faced in opposite directions, see Fig. 5.

The lug 28 is adapted to cooperate with the series of teeth 8, and the lug 29 with the series of teeth 9, so that when the lugs are in operative position both series of teeth will be engaged and the lever 16 is positively held from swinging movement in either direction on its fulcrum 3.

By grasping the art 22 of the locking member 20 and the and-grip 1-7 simultaneously and closing his hand the operator rocks the member 20 on its pivot 21 and disengages the lugs 28, 29 from the segmental series of teeth 8, 9, thereby unlocking the lever 16 so that it can he swung in either direction to any desired extent.

Release of the lockin member permits the spring 23 to act instant% and positively lock t e lever at the particu ar point to which it may have been moved.

A very slight angular movement is provided for by the locking arrangement described, as the teeth of the two segmental series may be made quite fine while still serving to securely lock the lever in the desired position.

I have herein shown at 30 a ortion of a rotatable shaft, which may be t e motor shaft of a boat, arranged to be driven at a constant speed and in one direction, and upon the s aft an externally-threaded reversin member shown as a sleeve 31, longitudina movement thereof upon the shaft changing the speed or reversing the direction of movement of the boat, as in my patent referred to, g e sleeve being shown partly in section in 1g. 3. In order to operatively connect the sleeve 31 with the controlling lever 16 I extend the sleeve loosely through a tubular carrier 32 having lateral trunmons 33 which rest and rock in the seats 14 of the yoke 13, so that while swinging movement of the lever rocks the yoke the carrier will be moved lon itudinally of the shaft 30, swinging more or ess on its trunnions 33 as may be necessary. A depending longitudinal fin 34 on the carrier slides in a slot 35 in the yoke, thereby obviating any tendency of the carrier to rotate.

Suitable s lit nuts 36 are screwed onto the sleeve 31 an up against the opposite ends of the carrier, after which the nuts are clamped in place by bolts 37, thereby causing the sleeve and carrier to move as a unit and retaining the carrier in longitudinally adjusted position relatively to the sleeve.

By the means described the parts can be easily and uickly adjusted so that when the propeller b ades are in neutral position the controlling lever will be at midposition relatively to the locking segment, as shown in Fig. 1.

A stuffing-box 38 surrounding the shaft 30 at the inboard end of the sleeve 31 is screwed onto the latter and clamped thereon, suitable packing 39, Fig. 3, keeping the box tight around the shaft, so that any water traveling along the shaft cannot pass beyond the stuffing-box.

As the locking segment is adjustable on the pin 3 upon which the controlling lever 16 is fulcrumed it will be seen that the proper relation between the locking teeth and the lugs on the locking member or arm 20 will alwa s be maintained.

By provi ing the yoke with an elongated foot to embrace the fulcrum pin I overcome any tendency of the lever to twist as it is swung in one or the other direction, its path of movement being maintained constant and parallel to the face of the locking segment.

The a paratus is strong and durable, simple, easiy adjusted to varying conditions, and readily operated to efiect the desired control of the mechanism with which it is operatively connected.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A reversing lever, a manually-operated locking member mounted thereon and movable in unison with and also laterally relatively to the lever, oppositely acting lugs on said member, a segment having two series of oppositely-faced locking teeth on its face adjacent the lever, the lugs on the locking member cooperating simultaneously with teeth in both series, to lock the lever from movement in either direction, and a sleeve pi'votally connected with said lever and operatively moved longitudinally by angular movement of the lever, lateral movement of the locking member relatively to the lever effecting engagement or disengagement of the lugs and the lockin teeth.

2. In apparatusof t e class described, a reversing member, a controlling lever operatively' connected therewith and having a fixed fulcrum, a'manually-operated locking member carried by the lever and having oppositely acting lugs, and two segmental seriesof oppositely-faced locking teeth concentrically arranged one above the other adjacent the path'of movement of the lever, to cooperate simultaneously with the lugs and lock the lever from movement in either direction.

3. A reversing member, a swinging lever operatively connected therewith and mova le in a fixed path, saidlever having an opening, a segment having two rows of oppositely-faced locking teeth arranged concentrically on the face of the segment adjacent the opening in the lever, and amanually released locking member mounted on and movable laterally relatively to the lever and having 0 positely acting lugs extended through t e opening, to engage simultaneously teeth of both series and lock the lever from movement in either direction.

4. In apparatus of the class described, a fixed stand, a swinging lever fulcrumed thereon, a reversing member, a pivotal connection between it and the lever, a segment adjustably mounted on the stand in parallelism with the path of movement of the lever, two rows of oppositely-faced teeth on the face of the segment adjacent and parallel to the p th of the lever, and a manually-governed ocking member on the lever, to cooperate with both rows of teeth and positively revent movement of the lever in either direction.

5. A fixed stand having separated ears, and a fulcrum pin mounted therein, a yoke having a transverse, tubular foot depending therefrom to embrace the in between the ears, a swinging lever rigid y connected with the yoke, means to lock the lever from angular movement, a tubular carrier fulcrumed in the yoke, the fulcrum of the car-. rier being in parallelism with the fulcrum of the yoke, an externally threaded reversing sleeve extended loosely through the carrier, and nuts screwed on said sleeve and abutting against the opposite ends of the carrier, to rigidly and ad ustably connect the said sleeve and carrier.

6. A fixed stand having separated ears, a yoke fulcrumed on the ears and having a socket at right angles to its fulcrum, a tubular carrier having trunnions pivotally mounted in the yoke, adepending fin on the carrier to enter the socket and prevent rotative movement of the carrier 1n the yoke, a threaded reversing sleeve extended loosely through the carrier, and clamp-nuts adapted to be set up on the sleeve against the ends of the carrier, combined with a lever connected with and to rock the yoke, and means to lock the lever in desired osition.

7. A rotatable ower sha t, an externally threaded sleeve t ough which said shaft is extended to rotate freely therein, a tubular' carrier loosely embracing the sleeve, nuts on the latter adapted to be set u against the ends of the carrier, to clam t e sleeve and carrier together, retaining t e carrier in longitudinally adjusted osition relatively to the sleeve, a reversing l eVer having yokearms, a fixed fulcrum for the lever, trunnions on the carrier, pivotall mounted in the oke-arms parallel to the ever fulcrum, to e ect longitudinal movement of the sleeve upon the shaft by swinging movement of the lever, and manually-controlled means to lock the lever at any point in its path of movement.

8. A fixed stand having separated ears, a yoke fulcrumed on the ears and having a socket at right angles to its fulcrum, a tubular carrier having trunnions pivotally mounted in the yoke, a fin on the carrier to enter the socket and prevent rotative movement of the carrier in the yoke, and a'reversing sleeve moving in unison with the carrier combined with a lever connected with and to rock the yoke. 

